The 2018-19 boys basketball season gets underway next week and Oakland County should have a competitive field of teams once again. Here’s a look at the top 10 teams to open the new year.

1. Novi Detroit Catholic Central – Brandon Sinawi comes over from Novi (2018 Class A final four) to coach a senior-laden group of Shamrocks led by the three-headed monster of guard Brandon Downs, forward Davis Lukomski and center Justin Rukat. Look for 6-foot-3 senior guard Jake Woebkenberg and 6-foot-7 junior forward Nick Smulski to have breakout seasons and football star Keegan Koehler to be a top defensive stopper. Junior guard Josiah Smith, a transfer who was a small-school league MVP at Birmingham Roeper out of the MIAC, will be eligible in January and should enter the starting lineup right off the bat.

2. Ferndale – Head coach Juan Rickman arrived from Detroit East English village in the summer and brought with him four college recruits in senior Sudi McElroy (shooting guard), junior Jayshawn Moore (wing) and sophomores Simon Wheeler (point guard) and Colin Golson (power forward-center), which should immediately make the Eagles a force to be reckoned with. Holdovers from last year’s Ferndale squad like Keelan Lucas (guard), Brian Polozo (forward) and Teonah McKeithen (forward) will be key contributors for a club that is the runaway preseason frontrunner in the OAA Blue.

3. Clarkston – The two-time defending Class A state champion are breaking in a new coach Tim Wasilk – the first the team has had in over three and a half decades with the retirement of the legendary Dan Fife back in the fall – and a brand new lineup, but should remain a power in the OAA (going for a mind-boggling 13th OAA Red title in a row). Junior center Matt Nicholson will patrol the paint and is getting serious interest from big-time college programs. Freshmen Keegan Wasilk and Fletcher Loyer, the baby brothers of last year’s starters, Foster Loyer (Mr. Basketball) and Chase Wasilk, will see action early. The Wasilks are Tim’s nephews. Senior football stars Jake Jensen and Josh Luther should give the Wolves a boost out of the backcourt, with newcomers like Cole Donchez and Connor McKeown providing sharpshooting and Denton Smith and Desmond Mills-Bradley bringing energy and athleticism on the perimeter.

4. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – Recent Wisconsin-commit Lorne Bowman is the best player in the Catholic League and will continue to give opponents fits out of the backcourt for a young and talented Eaglets team. Highly-touted freshman floor general Kareem Rozier should allow Bowman to play more off the ball this season. Junior football star Anthony Enechukwu started on the wing last year and big fellas Matt Nowicki and Peter Nwoke will handle duties on the blocks. Freshmen D.C. Temple (forward) and Jason Drake (guard-forward) are impressing in practice.

5. Oak Park – The Knights won the 2018 OAA White title and move up to the OAA Red this fall to compete with 12-time defending champ Clarkston, West Bloomfield, Lake Orion and North Farmington for league bragging rights. Junior power forward Maliq Carr is one of the best frontcourt players in the state. Transfers Freddy Garland (Saginaw Herritage) and Marcell Carter (Ferndale) should start at a guard spot and center, respectively. Devonte Edwards and Chris Gary will be tough to handle in a three-man backcourt. Emmanuel Ollie, Michael Lewis, Solomon Johnson, Don Taylor and Jalen Mines are set to come off the bench.

6. West Bloomfield – Left-handed assassin Donavan Moore, signed with Toledo, and relentless point guard Robert Johnson make up a toasty guard duo for the Lakers. Shamar Mathews and Chase Glover-Rodgers are other returners that will clock major minutes. Junior Jon Ammori and a sophomore class brimming with potential, featuring Kip Blazevicius, Travis Reece, Jordan McMiller and Jake Lanslaw, are ready to make an impact.

7. Farmington – Jaden Aikens and Tariq Humes are a pair of sizzling sophomore guards and will be joined by senior transfer Tariq Shepherd (Detroit East English Village) in what should be a knockout backcourt and fuel the Falcons drive for an OAA White crown. Senior center Bakyne Coly, junior guard Demarko Coakley and sophomore forward Jack Donahue are ready to augment the team’s trio of stars in the attack.

8. North Farmington – The Raiders are fixing to play sleeper in the OAA Red after a middling campaign in 2018. Senior center Yusef Jihad might be the most improved player in the league. Justice Clark and Marshall Miller are junior guards coming into their own. The Hayes brothers (Jamal and Deon) are both gritty competitors and Bashir Jihad (Yusef’s little brother) and Sho-Ron Graham are making significant strides down low.

9. Rochester Adams – Sophomore Ethan Emerzian is as efficient as they come out of the backcourt and forwards Peyton Prieskorn and Jake Schuler are both crafty and nails tough. Center George Gurraj and Jake Emerzian, Ethan’s twin brother, are looking good and hot-shooting freshman guard Gunner Walters, son of former Detroit Pistons assistant and college star Rex Walters (Kansas), is ready to be let loose for his high school career. The Highlanders are preseason favorites in the OAA White along with Farmington.

10. Lake Orion – Jumping into the OAA Red, the Dragons are legit contenders, spearheaded by 6-foot-10 Wayne State-signee Nate Talbot in the middle and fast-rising junior forward Isiah Harris. Rugged role players like Kyle Loken, Jake Rydquist, Drew Van Heck, Jack Cummings, Cam Sutton and Mitchell Howell should make Lake Orion one of the most consistently scrappy teams in the area.